Police Minister Brent Potter unaware of PALIs return to Darwin

The Police Commissioner says constables will step up to ensure full coverage of Alice Springs bottleshops, while taking the fall for Brent Potter being blind to the major development in his portfolio.

Police Minister Brent Potter and Police Commissioner Michael Murphy. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Police Minister Brent Potter was not aware 33 Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors would be leaving Alice Springs this week, with Commissioner Michael Murphy taking the blame for the minister’s portfolio blunder.

Commissioner Murphy also confirmed there would be full police coverage of Alice Springs bottleshops, addressing widespread confusion about what the removal of PALIs would mean.

Mr Potter was forced to retract comments he made calling Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro a liar, after she quoted a letter police sent to licensed venues advising them PALIs would cease duties on Wednesday.

“Post this date there will be a reversion to the hybrid POSI (Point of Sale Intervention) operation which was in place prior to (the curfew),” the April 4 letter told businesses.

Thirty-three PALIs training to become constables were urgently pulled back to duties when the Alice Springs curfew was introduced two weeks ago, but returned to their four-month course in Darwin on Thursday morning.

Prior to the curfew, several of the town’s smaller bottleshops had been left without full coverage, prompting anger from business owners and community groups who said the gaps led to an increase in alcohol fuelled violence.

Sworn officers will fill the gap left by PALIs who have returned to Darwin for training. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Commissioner Michael Murphy on Thursday said that this time no businesses would be left without.

“We’ll have full coverage on all the bottle shops, the nine takeaway outlets,” he told ABC Radio Alice Springs.

“We did try the four lockdown and the mobile efforts, but obviously that wasn’t as effective as we’d like – we acknowledge that. There will be full lockdown into the future.”

NT Constables, aided by 10 South Australia Police who arrived in Alice Springs on Wednesday, will take on bottleshop duties while PALIs are in the Top End.

Mr Murphy said he was responsible for the Police Minister not being made aware of the plan.

“That rests with me, the information not being relayed to the Police Minister,” Mr Murphy said.

“He was briefed that they (the PALIs) were going to stay another week, but we had to return them to get back in their training … it’s a pretty dynamic environment.”

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro accused Mr Potter of failing to take responsibility.

“The disgraced Police Minister has shown that he will say and do anything to save his job,” she said.

“Eva Lawler has said the disgraced Police Minister is an idiot, and this is the second time he has been caught out.”

Mr Potter said bottleshop coverage and high visibility policing remained a top priority.

“While the Opposition is busy playing petty politics and trying to run a scare campaign, we are getting on with maintaining the Alice Springs youth curfew and working with community leaders on the ground on common sense solutions,” he said.

“All bottleshops in Alice Springs are being manned by police officers. Training of PALIs has resumed to reduce our attrition rate.”